DCHQ553772 


HEAD-QUARTERS  DEPARTMENT  NT.  C.  AND  SO.  VA.,  ) 
Inspector  General's  Office,  August  3rd,  1864.  > 

CIRCULAR. 

T.  The  following  extracts  from  General  Instructions  of  the 
War  Department  are  republished  for  infonRition  of  Staff  officers: 

Adjutant  and  Inspector  General's  Office,  j»_ 
Richmond,  June  4'.h,   1864.  ) 

Circular. 

The  following  General  Instructions  are   published  for  the 
guidance  of  Inspeetors  in  the  performance  of  their  duties. 


Duties  of  Inspectors  Serving  with  Armies. 

Inspect  troops  in  the  manner  prescribed  by  Article  XXX,  and  for 
the  purposes  indicated  in  paragraphs  459  and  460  of  the  Army  Regu^ 
lations,  published  by  authority  of  the  War  Department  in  1862. 

The  number,  appearance  and  bearing  of  officers  and  men  present 
at  inspection,  and  of  their  arms  and  accoutrements,  should  be  ascer* 
tained,  also  that  all  arms,  or  parts  of  arms  and  accoutrements  lost, 
have  been  properly  accounted  for,  in  accordance  with  General  Or* 
ders,  No.  148,  of  1863,  and  No.  6,  current  series,  from  the  Adjutant 
and  Inspector  General's  office. 

******* 

The  company,  regimental  and  brigade  records  should  be  next  ex- 
amined with  reference  to  the  strength,  present  and  absent — reporting 
by  name  all  officers,  and  numerically,  all  enlisted  men  improperly 
absent  from  inspection  or  their  commands  ;  and  ascertaining  if  lists 
required  to  be  furnished  by  General  Orders,  Nos.  125  and  130  of  1863, 
from  the  Adjutant  and  Inspector  General's  office,  are  regularly  for* 
warded. 

******* 

See  that  regimental  returns  and  reports  of  ordnance  are  regularly 
made.  Knowing,  from  inspection,  the  number  of  arms  in  the  hands 
of  the  men  inspected,  they,  with  those  in  charge  of  the  ordnance 
scrgeant,and  others  accounted  for  by  certificates  of  boards  of  survey, 
should  cover  the  responsibility  of  the  regimental  commanders. 

Learn  whether  the  Orders  issued  from  the  WTar  Department  and 


the  different  head  quarters  of  the  army  are  duly  promulgated,  under- 
stood  and  observed  throughout  the  commands  inspected. 

Examine  the  Medical  Department  with  reference  to  provision 
made  for  Ihe  sick,  their  hospitals,  medical  supplies,  the  sanitary  conv 
dition  of  their  commands,  iha  efficiency  and  capability  of  the  medical 
officers,  aud  that  all  required  returns  and  reports  are  promptly  ren- 
dered. The  property  and  money  accounts  of  quartermasters  and 
commissaries  should  nest  bs  examined,  seeing  that  they  are  correct 
and  promptly  rendered  ;  that  all  public  property  is  properly  appropri- 
ated ;  that  forage  received  and  issued  is  only  given  to  animals  legiti- 
mately within  thecommaud,  and  subsistence  ouly  to  troops  actually 
present,  and  that  sales  to  officers  are  limited  to  Regulation  allowance 
— reporting  all  irregularities  and  inefficiency  or  neglect  of  duty  on 
*he  part  of  officers,  aud  all  employees,  vehicles  and  animals  in  excess 
over  those  authorized  in  Orders. 

The  Ordnance  Department  will  be  similarly  examined.  The  em- 
ployees in  all  these  departments  3hould  be  men  unfit  for  active  duty 
in  the  ranks,  as  far  as  the  nature  of  the  duties  to  be  performed  will 
permit. 

***** 

Tnspec'ors  will  frequently  ride  through  and  about  the  neighborhood 
of  their  camps,  jobserve  the  condition  of  enclosures,  private  proper- 
ty, crops,  &c,  &c;  repress  all  irregularis  or  depredations,  and 
where  committed,  cause  prompt  indemnity  to  the  injured  and  pun- 
ishment of  offenders. 

*  *  *  *    '  *  *  * 

Roll  calls  and  an  examination  of  arms,  which  should  be  invaria- 
bly made  in  every  company  at  the  commencement  and  at  the  end  of 
each  day's  march,  would  measurably  prevent  both  straggling  and  the 
loss  of  arms,  and  every  inspector  should  secure  within  his  command 
the  publication  of  an  Order  enjoining  this  duty,  and  look  to  its  strict 
observance.  He  will  pass  frequently  along  the  line  of  march,  cause 
the  ranks  to  be  kept  properly  closed,  and  all  stragglers,  whether  of 
his  own  or  other  commands,  to  rejoin  their  companies  ;  or  if  this  ia 
impracticable,  turn  them  over  to  the  nearest  provost  guard,  to  be 
marched  forward  and  returned  at  the  end  of  the  march.  See  that 
the  second  officer  in  rank,  with  one  of  the  medical  officers  of  each 


3 

regiment  or  battalion,  is  in  rear  of  bis  command,  to  preserve  order, 
prevent  straggling,  and  to  give  written  authority  to  the  sick  and 
broken  down  to  ride  in  the  wagons  or  ambulances  moving  with  the 
brigade. 

Note  the  names  of  stragglers,  and  those  of  their  regimental  and 
company  commanders,  who  will  beheld  responsible  for  their  neglect 
of  duty  in  permitting  such  irregularity,  and  required  to  give  their 
immediate  attention  to  its  correction.  See  that  staff  officers  in  charge 
of  trains  or  public  property  are  with  their  respective  trusts,  and  hold 
them  responsible  for  all  irregularities  committed  by  their  employee*. 

Preparatory  to  battle,  inspectors  will  locate  Iheir  provost  gnai 
at  eligible  points  for  arresting  ,vl  stragglers;  acquaint  themselve 
with  the  localities  of  the  ordnance,  supply  and  ambulance  trains', 
p.nd  of  the  field  hospital?,  the  character  of  the  grounds  in  the  vicin>« 
ity  of  their  command?,  front  and  rear,  and  of  all  roads  to  and  from 
the  line  of  battle,  and  connecting  with  the  main  traveled  roads  in 
rear;  the  troops  supporting  both  flanks;  the  position  of  reserves;  the 
watchfulness  observed  by  pickets  and  skirmishers  thrown  to  the  front, 
and  report  this,  and  all  other  information,  derived  from  the  examina-* 
tion,  of  prisoners  or  other  sources,  which  may  prove  important  in 
aidiug  his  commander  in  the  intelligent  performance  of  hh  duties. 

In  the  intervals  of  the  fight,  where  practicable,  he  will  cause  to  be 
collected  all  arms,  accoutrements  or  other  movable  property  left  by 
eur  own  men  or  the  enemy,  to  points  in  rear  easily  accessible  for  the 
wagons.  They  will  keep  an  account  of  all  captures  made  by  their 
commands,  whether  of  prisoners  or  property — sending  in  a  tabular 
statement  of  the  same  alter  the  battle,  in  order  that  each  command 
may  receive  due  credit  for  its  service ;  and  cause  all  property  cap- 
tured or  collected  to  be  turned  over  en  public  account  to  the  officers 
of  the  department  to  which  it  pertains. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

To  perform  efficiently  their  duties,  inspectors  will  acquaint  thems 
pelves  with  the  Regulations  and  Orders  governing  all  branches  of 
liie  service,  issued  from  the  War  Department,  or  the  head  quarters 
of  the  array  with  which  they  are  serving.  This  knowledge  is  indis*< 
pensable,  as  it  is  the  duty  of  the  inspector  to  see  that  all  orders  are 


understood  and  obeyed  by   the  command  with  which  he  is  serving, 
or  which  he  is  inspecting. 

*  *  *  *  * 

Inspections  arc  intended  to  secure  greater  efficiency  ihroughout 
the  service,  in  procuring  the  strict  observance  of  orders,  the  correc- 
tion of  abuses,  and  in  bringing  to  tbe  notice  of  the  authorities  tbe 
merits  and  demerits  of  all  military  officers  and  organizations;  and 
fcucb  other  information  as  will ''acquaint  them  with  the  condition  of 
the  different  commands,  and  enable  them  to  act  advisedly  in  making 
any  changes  necessary  for  the  advancement  of  the  publis  interests. 
gL  .By  order, 

(Signed,)  S.  COOPER, 

Adjutant  and  Inspector   General. 

II.  Inspectors  will  make  themselves  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  following  orders  from  these  Head-Quarters  : 

General  Order  No.  1,  Paragraph  VII,  VIII,  and  IX. 
General  Order  No.  2,  Paragraph  I  to  VI. 
General  Order  Ncs.  7,  8  and  9,  entire.  ■ 

General  Order  Np.  11,  Paragraph  I,  II,  III,  and  VIII. 
General  Order  No.  12,  Paragraph  III. 
General  Order  Nos.  15,  16,  11  and  IS,  entire. 

III.  In  causing  property  to  be  collected  which  has  been  left  by  the 
enemy  or  our  own  men  after  a  fight,  inspectors  will  see  that  brigade 
and  division  ordnance  officers  perform  their  duty  as  required  by  tho 
General  Orders  of  the  War  Department  and  Regulations  of  the  Ord* 
nance  Bureau. 

Inspectors  will  also  look  to  the  collection  of  all  ordnance  store-a 
v. inch  may  be  lying  in  the  trenches,  and  its  removal  by  proper 
oidnance  officers. 

HENKT  BRYAN 

Major  and  Acting  Chief  Inspector. 
Approved. 

By  command  of  General  Beauregard. 

GEO.  WM.  BRENT, 

'Col.  and  A.  A.   Q. 


Hollinger  Corp, 
PH8.5 


